A Prayer For God's Mission.

God of the universe, your Son, Jesus Christ wholeheartedly took up your mission and proclaimed Good News to the poor. Send your Spirit on us, and invigorate us to continue that proclamation in our own day. Set our hearts alight, so that the flames of your love may be passed on to others. We ask this through Jesus our Saviour whose heart blazed with love, even as he died on the cross. Amen.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Hope For The Future.

I came across this good reminder of the kindness and providence of God in our lives.

I share it with you.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 (New International Version)

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Still Yet Another Tip For Fathers.

Joy is more than laughing.

We need to communicate joy - but we also need to laugh with our children.

Laughing breaks down barriers and helps us to connect.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 (New International Version)

15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Yet Another Tip for Fathers.

Remember that your children are people too! Deserving our respect.

Communicate with them in a way that is age appropriate.

Mark 10:14-16 (New International Version)

14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Have a good day,

Peter Clark.

Another Tip For Fathers.

It is your job and responsibility to communicate your faith in Christ to your children.

It is a good idea to take the responsibility seriously.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (New International Version)

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Have a good day,

Peter Clark.

A Tip For Fathers.

Love your wife as Christ loved the church.

This is the best gift you can give to your children.


Ephesians 5:25-29 (New International Version)

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Stay On The Road.

Meditate on this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

But to deviate from the truth for the sake of some prospect of hope
of our own can never be wise, however slight that deviation may be.
It is not our judgement of the situation
which can show us what is wise,
but only the truth of the Word of God.
Here alone lies the promise of God's faithfulness and help.
It will always be true that the wisest course for the disciple
is always to abide solely by the Word of God in all simplicity.

(Quoted from "A Long Obedience In The Same Direction" by Eugene H Peterson p.36)

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

A Word In Season.

Joshua 1:9 (New International Version)

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Isn't it amazing how the Lord provides us with just the right word at just the right time.

I came across this reminder that God will be with us WHEREVER we go.

There is no need to be discouraged or terrified by new ventures.

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Small "Goder" Or A Big "Goder"

On radio 1224 each morning at 6.30am there is a segment when Chuck Swindoll preaches a sermon.

This morning he asked the challenging question as to whether we are "small Goders" or "big Goders"

Can you imagine what he was on about?

A small Goder is the person who has trouble thinking that God can do what He has promised. God can't do miracles, He doesn't speak through His Word (at least not all of it) and so on.

A big Goder is the person who knows that God is faithful, that He has performed miracles and continues to perform them, that He speaks through His Word. In short, they know that nothing is impossible with God.

TFTD: Which one are you?


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Our Response To God's Goodness.

The Israelites had a new King (Solomon) and a new Temple.

It was a time for them to renew their commitment to God.

After Solomon prays in 1 Kings 8 the people go home with this attitude.

Verse 66 ".....joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done...."

TFTD: This is not a bad attitude for us to have. What do you think?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

The God Of My Life.

Psalm 42:8

"Surely the Lord will grant His loving mercy in the day time:
and in the night His song will be with me,
a prayer to the God of my life"

This Psalm was a part of the psalm set for today at Church.

I loved this description of God, as the "God of my life".

It seems to me that our relationship with God is to be one of total focus - He is to be the God of our life.

The danger is that we make a part (even an important part) of our lives - but in reality He is to be ...the God our life.


Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

G.K. Chesterton -A Quote.

"I believe in getting into hot water, it keeps you clean."

Unexpected Convert!

Acts 13:12 "When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord."

More often than not - it is the unexpected person who ends up becoming a follower of Jesus.

Let us not give up on our relatives and friends, work colleagues etc. If they seem too hard, or give the appearance of never coming to Christ - just keep praying.

Have a good day,


Peter Clark.

Stay True.

In Acts 11 and verse 21 many people from Antioch become Christians.

The Church in Jerusalem hear about it and send Barnabas down to check it out.

What does he find?

Acts 11:23 (New International Version)

23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

He saw evidence of the grace of God.

What might that evidence have been? Any ideas?

TFTD: What evidence might Barnabas find in your life if he cam to visit you?

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

For Above The Fireplace.

This is a quote from an old motto that was often placed above fireplaces.

"The beauty of the house is order; The blessing of the house is contentment; The glory of the house is hospitality; The crown of the house is godliness."

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Now, There's A Puzzle.

Today, I am up to 2 Samuel 24 in my daily reading. There are a couple of conundrums:

The first is in verse 1 "Again, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,and he (God) incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah"

There are two puzzles here: First, does God cause David to sin? Secondly, what is wrong with a census anyway?

God does not cause people to sin, but he does let us reveal our sinfulness by our actions. Relating to this incident 1 Chronicles 21 says that Satan incited David to undertake the census. Hebrew writers do not always distinguish between primary and secondary causes. This means that if God allowed Satan to tempt David, then to them it is as if God did it.

Secondly, what was wrong with taking a census? At this time Israel were not at war and so there was no need for an army. (a census was in fact, recruitment). This was basically a failure of trust in God - trusting in the size of an army rather in God's ability to protect them regardless of the size of the army.

TFTD: We sin in a similar way when we place trust and security in things like money, possessions or power.

Have a good day,

Peter Clark.

God Stood Me In A Wide Open Field.

David was a rotter at times, but he is really amazing in how he describes his experiences with God.

What do you think of this? He is describing what God has done for him, and the nature of his relationship with God.


2 Samuel 22:20 (The Message)


17-20 But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

Be amazed.

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Galatians 2:20 Says It All.

This verse was set down as the "Verse of the Day" today. I had the very great privilege of starting two Services with it.

Galatians 2:20 (New International Version)

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is how "The Message" puts it - somewhat longer because the verse is included in the larger passage.

Galatians 2:20 (The Message)

^19-21What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

TFTD: We are new people - praise God.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

We Must Be Careful.

Psalm 73:2-3 (New International Version)

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.

³ For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

This verse reminded me of the dangers there are lurking in our world.

It is easy for us to slip and fall away through coveting what others have. We are very prone to envy when it comes to the prosperity of others.

TFTD: Be careful, or you will slip.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

There Are No Losers.

Heather is in Nepal until next Saturday. She reminded of this verse in an email.

When it comes to our relationship with God, and our serving of Him we can know for sure that we will never lose. God does not call us into a relationship, or to serve Him and not bless and/or equip us.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal."


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Don't Be Discouraged By Some Persecution.

I am up to the Acts of the Apostles in my daily readings. In Chapter 5 we see the apostles being persecuted for their faith and trust in Jesus.

Peter and John had been warned repeatedly not to preach. In spite of this they continued.

Who are they going to obey - God and Jesus or the religious authorities?

We, too, should live as Christ has asked us to, sharing our faith no matter what the cost.

In Australia (if that is where you are), you probably will not be beaten or thrown into gaol, but we may be ridiculed, ostracised or slandered. These reactions can hurt too.

TFTD: To what extent are you willing to suffer for the sake of sharing the gospel with others?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

What Is A Doxology?

What do you think?

There are three of them I want to mention. 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:3.

By the way have you notices how easy it is to remember where they are - look at the number pattern!

All three doxologies praise God for what He does for His people.

They deal with past, present and future blessings in the Christian life.

As you have hard times, take the time to praise the Lord.

It is good medicine for a hurting heart.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Come Lord Jesus

"O Lord, come!" is the call from 1 Corinthians 16:22. In Aramaic it is marana tha, often seen as

maranatha.

In the Lord's Prayer, we pray, "Your Kingdom Come" (Matthew 6:10); and the apostle John prayed, "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20).

We should long for His coming, not just because we want to escape the trails of this life but because we love Him and want to see Him face- to-face.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Temptation

There is a saying:

"When you flee from temptation, be sure that you do not leave a forwarding address."

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

A Good Idea At The Time.

There are many things that we do or contemplate but in the end they are not a good idea.

I was reminded of this as I was reading Proverbs 14.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (verse 12)

TFTD: It is important for us to choose well because the consequences can be severe.

Have a good day,

Peter Clark.

What A Good Idea!

This morning in my reading I was struck by David's reliance on God. I was reading 2 Samuel 5.

First of all, we see David becoming "more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him"

Then David "enquired of the LORD" twice regarding going to war with Philistines.

This turned out to be a characteristic of the life of David and probably reflects his heart - that he had for God.

If we want "Help Along Life's Way" then this is very good advice for us.

Have a good day,

Peter Clark



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Trusting Ourselves To God.

Psalm 78:22 (New International Version)

²² for they did not believe in God
or trust in his deliverance.

There are two thoughts that are necessary for us to pursue:

We need to trust ourselves to God and to His intervention into our lives.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

What Does God Seek After?

As we consider the Scriptures....what do we see God looking for?

He is seeking the lost in Luke 19:10.

He is looking for worshippers in John 4:23.

He would like to see fruit in our lives in Luke 13:7.

He would like us to be faithful servants in Ezekiel 22:30.

TFTD: Has He found these things in you?

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.

Let's Keep On With God!

At a Minister's Support Group today, we had a very excellent devotion.

It was on Jeremiah 13:1-11. Jeremiah was told to go and buy a belt and hide it in the cleft of a rock. Some time later he was told to go and retrieve it. By this time the belt was ruined.

The passage then concludes with this Word from God.

Jeremiah 13:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ For as a belt is bound around a man's waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.'

TFTD: God has done/is doing something very special in our lives. Never give up on Him - always listen and respond to Him.

Have a great day,

Peter Clark.